Illinois owner fights to keep her emotional support dog
The daily Item
By Matt Demirs
31 July 2017
Cheryl Hardnett plays with her service dog, Milo, in her apartment on 95 Nahant St. (Spenser Hasak)
LYNN — Milo will be fighting for his home against the OceanView Condos’ board of trustees on Wednesday.
The nine-pound shih-poo was purchased in 2014 as an emotional support
dog by Cheryl Hardnett, who rents the two-bedroom apartment from Pam
Boucher at Ocean View.
Hardnett, who moved into the condo in 2010, was diagnosed with
depression by Dr. Hanna Haptu, at the Lynn Community Health Center.
Haptu wrote a letter for Hardnett to have the emotional support dog as
a way to cope in 2014, when Milo moved into the unit at 95 Nahant St.
“My doctor told me a dog was the best medicine for me,” Hardnett said.
“He saved me, just like I saved him. Basically we saved each other.”
The president of OceanView apartments, Rosemarie Hong, agreed to let
Hardnett own the emotional support dog since the documents came from a
licensed doctor, Hardnett said.
a change in the condo president
Milo was safe and sound until Hong sold her condo in the unit and moved to Florida in 2015 and Yevgeniya Tunik became president.
Hardnett said Tunik has been out for her and her dog since she took on
the role, and it has gotten so bad that matters will be going to Lynn
District Court on Wednesday.
Tunik has been asking to remove the dog since she became president, Hardnett said.
“There are people in this building who own rabbits and cats,” Hardnett
said, “Why can’t I have my dog? He weighs less than 10 pounds and he
doesn’t yap. He’s hypoallergenic, too.”
Without notifying Hardnett or Boucher, Tunik and the board of trustees
met to decide a policy regarding pets and officially issued Boucher,
the landlord, a fine of $25 for every day Hardnett’s dog was living at
the unit, she said.
After Boucher had asked for an application to have the pet, it has
taken more than a year to receive the documents finally given to her by
the board of trustees in June 2017, Hardnett said.
Boucher has accumulated more than $14,000 in fees
Since then, Boucher has accumulated more than $14,000 in fees, she said.
The case was filed by the board of trustees against Boucher, who said
she feels caught in the middle of the whole ordeal, but wants to do
what is right.
“Per federal law they cannot do that,” Boucher said, after conducting
research on the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Emotional support
dogs are just like any prescription written by a doctor.”
Tunik declined to comment on the legality of asking Hardnett to remove
her medically documented emotional support dog. She asked all questions
be referred to her attorney, Karl Goodman.
Goodman, whose office is located on the Lynnway, said there is a trial
set for this week on the no pet policy involving all parties to enforce
building documents.
Hardnett, who will bring Milo to court on Wednesday said she loves her
emotional support dog and is ready to settle this officially.
“Milo has become more than just a dog,” she said. “He is my son and they aren’t going to take my son away from me.”
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